Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to a battery having a number of single cells interconnected in series and/or in parallel, the electrical poles of which for the electrical interconnection are connected to one another in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner, directly or by means of cell connectors, and having a battery monitoring unit, the battery monitoring unit being connected to the electrical poles and/or to the cell connectors in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner. The invention further relates to a method for servicing, repairing, and/or optimizing such a battery.
Electrochemical high-voltage batteries for automotive applications are generally known from the prior art, and are formed from multiple single cells that are electrically interconnected in parallel and/or in series. For electrically connecting the single cells in series, their electrical poles are connected directly via an electrically conductive cell connector. In addition, the electrical poles of the particular single cell and/or the cell connectors are electrically connected to a device for measuring cell voltage and for charge balancing. The device for measuring cell voltage and for charge balancing is generally combined for multiple single cells in a battery electronics system. The electrical poles of the single cells are contacted with the cell connectors and the electrical poles, and/or the cell connector is contacted with the device for measuring cell voltage and for charge balancing, using integral bonding processes such as laser welding, resistance pressure welding, ultrasonic welding, and/or by means of positive-fit methods such as tox clinching/clinching or crimping. These integrally bonded and/or positive-fit connections, which are established ensure the particular function over the service life of the battery (even under high mechanical, corrosive, and/or thermal stress), prevents non-destructive separation of the particular connection.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to a battery having a number of electrically interconnected single cells, which is improved over the prior art, and a method for servicing, repairing, and/or optimizing such a battery.
A battery includes a number of single cells interconnected in series and/or in parallel, the electrical poles of which for the electrical interconnection are connected to one another in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner, directly or by means of cell connectors, and a battery monitoring unit that is connected to the electrical poles and/or to the cell connectors in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner. According to the invention, the electrical poles of the single cell, the cell connectors for electrically interconnecting adjoining single cells, and/or the battery monitoring unit in each case have redundant contact areas for the positive-fit and/or integrally bonded connection, in each case only one of the contact areas that are redundant with one another being connected in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner.
As a result of the electrical poles, the cell connectors, and/or the battery monitoring unit having contact areas which are redundant with one another as components, it is possible in a particularly advantageous manner, despite destruction of the contact area via which the components are connected to one another in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner, to once again connect the particular component in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner. By means of the contact areas that are redundant with one another, it is possible, for example, to remove components of the battery for repair, service, and/or replacement, as the result of which the contact area of the positive-fit and/or integrally bonded connection is destroyed, and to mount the component or a replacement component and to connect it in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner to a contact area that is redundant with the destroyed contact area.
In addition, by means of the redundant contact areas, provided that when a joint connection is established between components of the battery during initial assembly it is ascertainable that the joint connection is of poor quality, it is possible to make use of a further contact area for connecting the components in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner without the need for replacing the component or components. It is thus possible to profitably reduce the costs and the time for manufacturing the battery.
The particular redundant contact areas particularly preferably have a separate and/or separable design, so that a contact area that has been made unusable due to destruction of the positive-fit and/or integrally bonded connection may be removed. To this end, the contact areas have a separate and/or separable design such that the removal may be carried out without major effort and/or a tool that is complicated to use.
In one possible embodiment, the particular electrical pole of the single cell has multiple redundant contact areas designed as tongue-like sections. A tongue-like section of the particular electrical pole of the single cell advantageously forms a weld point for integrally fastening the electrical pole to an electrical pole of an adjoining single cell or for integrally fastening to a cell connector.
To advantageously allow comparatively simple removal of a contact area, designed as a tongue-like section, which has been made unusable due to damage, the particular tongue-like sections particularly preferably have a predefined breaking point so that the unusable tongue-like section as the contact area may be removed prior to a new positive-fit and/or integrally bonded connection.
In one advantageous embodiment, the particular electrical pole of a single cell has a width such that at least two redundant contact areas are formed next to one another, a cell connector being fastenable in each contact area in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner. Due to the design of the two redundant contact areas, the single cell is connectable two times to a further component in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner. That is, during manufacture of the battery, the particular electrical pole of the single cell is connectable to a further component of the battery in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner by means of a contact area, and if this contact area is unusable due to destruction of the connection, the further contact area may be used to connect the single cell, in particular to a cell connector, in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner.
Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the particular cell connector, by means of which adjoining single cells are electrically connectable to one another, has a predefined breaking point. The predefined breaking point may advantageously be used to separate the cell connector for removing a single cell, at the pole of which the cell connector is welded, in order to be able to remove the single cell.
Alternatively or additionally, the cell connector is made of a material that has a predefined brittleness, so that the cell connector is severable when a predefined force acts on it, so that, for example, the single cell to which the cell connector is fastened in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner is removable.
In another advantageous embodiment, a connecting element situated at the battery monitoring unit for connection to a cell connector and/or an electrical pole of the single cell has at least two adjacently situated redundant contact areas separated from one another by means of a predefined breaking point. It is thus advantageously possible to disconnect the battery monitoring unit from the electrical pole and/or the cell connector, and to use the further contact area for a new positive-fit and/or integrally bonded connection to an electrical pole of a single cell and/or to a cell connector.
The redundant contact areas are preferably formed on comparatively expensive components in order to connect these components multiple times to further components in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner.
The invention further relates to a method for servicing, repairing, and/or optimizing a battery having as components a number of single cells interconnected in series and/or in parallel, the electrical poles of which for the electrical interconnection are connected to one another in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner, directly or by means of cell connectors, and a battery monitoring unit which is connected to the electrical poles and/or to the cell connectors in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner. According to the invention, for replacing a component, the positive-fit and/or integrally bonded connection of the contact area of the component that is not to be replaced, via which the component which is to be replaced and the component which is not to be replaced are electrically contacted with one another, is separated by destruction and a replacement component is connected in a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded manner to the contact area that is redundant with the destroyed contact area. In addition, a faulty positive-fit and/or integrally bonded connection of two contact areas may be replaced or supplemented by a positive-fit and/or integrally bonded connection of two contact areas which are redundant with same.
The replacement component is connected to the redundant contact area by welding, tox clinching, clinching, crimping, and/or riveting in an integrally bonded and/or positive-fit manner.
Mutually corresponding parts are provided with the same reference numerals/characters in all figures.